1 Oh that you were like a brother to me Who nursed at my mother's breasts. If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you; No one would despise me, either. 2 I would lead you and bring you Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me; I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates. 3 Let his left hand be under my head And his right hand embrace me. 4 I want you to swear, O daughters of Jerusalem, Do not arouse or awaken my love Until she pleases. 5 Who is this coming up from the wilderness Leaning on her beloved? Beneath the apple tree I awakened you; There your mother was in labor with you, There she was in labor and gave you birth. 6 Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the LORD. 7 Many waters cannot quench love, Nor will rivers overflow it; If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly despised. 8 We have a little sister, And she has no breasts; What shall we do for our sister On the day when she is spoken for? 9 If she is a wall, We will build on her a battlement of silver; But if she is a door, We will barricade her with planks of cedar. 10 I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers; Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace. 11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon ; He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers. Each one was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit. 12 My very own vineyard is at my disposal; The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon, And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.13 O you who sit in the gardens, My companions are listening for your voice - Let me hear it! 14 Hurry, my beloved, And be like a gazelle or a young stag On the mountains of spices.Song of Solomon 8A Different Garden, by Alistair Begg

1"I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat, friends; Drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers." 2 "I was asleep but my heart was awake. A voice! My beloved was knocking: 'Open to me, my sister, my darling, My dove, my perfect one! For my head is drenched with dew, My locks with the damp of the night.' 3 "I have taken off my dress, How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet, How can I dirty them again? 4 "My beloved extended his hand through the opening, And my feelings were aroused for him. 5 "I arose to open to my beloved; And my hands dripped with myrrh, And my fingers with liquid myrrh,On the handles of the bolt. 6 "I opened to my beloved, But my beloved had turned away and had gone! My heart went out to him as he spoke. I searched for him but I did not find him; I called him but he did not answer me. 7 "The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me, They struck me and wounded me; The guardsmen of the walls took away my shawl from me. 8 "I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, As to what you will tell him: For I am lovesick ." 9 "What kind of beloved is your beloved, O most beautiful among women? What kind of beloved is your beloved, That thus you adjure us?" 10 "My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, Outstanding among ten thousand. 11 "His head is like gold, pure gold; His locks are like clusters of dates And black as a raven. 12 "His eyes are like doves Beside streams of water, Bathed in milk, And reposed in their setting. 13 "His cheeks are like a bed of balsam, Banks of sweet-scented herbs; His lips are lilies Dripping with liquid myrrh. 14 "His hands are rods of gold Set with beryl; His abdomen is carved ivory Inlaid with sapphires. 15 "His legs are pillars of alabaster Set on pedestals of pure gold; His appearance is like Lebanon Choice as the cedars. 16 "His mouth is full of sweetness. And he is wholly desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."Song of Solomon 5"...others come and go, but He remains as God upon His throne, world without end. We will behold Him tonight and adore Him. Angels are gazing on Him—His redeemed must not turn their eyes away from Him. Where else is there such a Beloved? Oh, for an hour's fellowship with Him! Be gone, you intruding anxieties! Jesus draws me, and I run after Him."Christ's Head, Alistair Begg

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 4 To Him who alone does great wonders, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; 5 To Him who made the heavens with skill, For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

6 To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; 7 To Him who made the great lights, For His lovingkindness is everlasting: 8 The sun to rule by day, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, 9 The moon and stars to rule by night, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

10 To Him who smote the Egyptians in their firstborn, For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

11 And brought Israel out from their midst, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, 12 With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 13 To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder, For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; 15 But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 16 To Him who led His people through the wilderness,For His lovingkindness is everlasting; 17 To Him who smote great kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, 18 And slew mighty kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting: 19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, 20 And Og, king of Bashan, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, 21 And gave their land as a heritage, For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

22 Even a heritage to Israel His servant, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 23 Who remembered us in our low estate, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, 24 And has rescued us from our adversaries, For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

25 Who gives food to all flesh, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 26 Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.More from Jack Kelley

I was reading Steve Arterburn's Daily Devotion, and became very interested in present day social myths. Looking around the Internet, I found this article, which I feel sums up the way of the world very succinctly:

Myth #1: The world is a dangerous place and we need guns, police and military to protect us.

Myth #2: Leave it to the experts (who are usually white men).

Myth #3: The good life consists of buying possessions that cost lots of money.

Myth #4: Happiness, satisfaction and sex appeal, just to name a few, are imminent-and available with the next consumer purchase.

Myth #5: Your body is not good enough.

Myth #6: Businesses and corporations are concerned for the public welfare.

"What’s more dangerous: a lie or a half-truth? Without doubt, it’s the half-truth. John F. Kennedy said, “The enemy of the truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived, and dishonest, but the myth—persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.” "Despite the common perception that we’re a people “come of age,” our culture remains inundated with half-truths—modern myths most people believe implicitly, and become offended when called into question. "Here [are] just a few examples: 1) People, at heart, are basically good; 2) The world’s getting better; 3) Technological progress is the key to our happiness and well-being. "We love these myths because they give us hope. Yet that’s precisely why they’re so dangerous: they keep our hope securely misplaced—that is, on something other than Jesus Christ, our only true hope.“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. - Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)"(from The Myths We Believe, by Steve Arterburn)

The symbols and images we are bombarded with each day are very powerful, full of deceit, and why shouldn't they be? They come directly from the great deceiver, the liar, who promenades as a being of light. His minions are powerful social engineers, and they utilize our media. They quite literally suck us in.Oh, Keep Me Lord, Keep Me, that I may observe your Law and keep it at the core of my heart for an entire lifetime!

29 Remove the false way from me, And graciously grant me Your law. 30 I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed Your ordinances before me.31 I cling to Your testimonies; O LORD, do not put me to shame! 32 I shall run the way of Your commandments, For You will enlarge my heart. 33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall observe it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law And keep it with all my heart. 35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it. 36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain. 37 Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways. 38 Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You. 39 Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your ordinances are good. 40 Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me through Your righteousness.

35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, "For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, Nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, Will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 8:35-39Learning through Suffering, by Steve Arterburn“Complete success alienates a man from his fellows, but suffering makes kinsmen of us all.”Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915)

The time has come to disengage from this mean ole world and put the focus here. Right Here!

12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience ; 13 Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone ; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Colossians 3:12-17

Sometimes the weight of my life seems almost too great to bear. Thing is, I have so many blessings. I am secure in housing, have a large and loving family, plenty to eat, transportation. My greatest blessing is that I have finally returned to the Father and nest comfortably under His wing. So, what, just what is the difficulty? Suffering abounds. It is all around me like a curtain of air. It is pressing like a great stone, sometimes I feel I will not be able to support the weight. Teach me, Oh Lord, how to maintain eternal happiness, for that is what You want for us. I know I can utilize prayer and the strength the Holy Spirit gives to me. These trials and tribulations my loved ones are experiencing are part of Your plan, are they not? Please help me to fully understand that You lead our every moment. That all that happens is part of Your great and wonderful plan. I am too quick to fear and worry. I fall off by the wayside far too easily. Please help me to remain strong. It seems, at times, such an easy thing to do, to remain happy and strong. When the troubles hit; however, it becomes a bit more difficult.Aging can bring strength and great wisdom, according to your rich blessing. I pray today that I may lean on You and utilize the gifts You have given me to survive the suffering of my friends, and those all around the world. I am so sensitive to this great collective suffering that I burst out in tears this morning upon seeing a dead coyote in the road. Keep me from the ugly lizard's crumple. For he would have this. He would have me destroyed when I try to maintain a proper response to Your way, a great love in my heart for Your son. I know enough to know that a proper response involves but one thing. Faith. I should seek the examples of those in the Underground Church. Extraordinary Faith! Steer towards it, Annie, aim high, faith is your only salvation! It is literally a Saving Grace for all of us.

Stand Together, Brothers and Sisters. It is so very difficult to suffer travail alone. Together, we are the Church; Together we can utilize the many spiritual blessings we receive from the Holy Spirit, and put them to good use when we minister to one another. Stand Together and Stand Strong. It's very likely our prayers, as a group, will be answered. John Piper speaks of this so eloquently today:"If we pray and pray for some change we want to see, but we never consider seeking the ministry of a fellow believer, we are like the eye that says to the hand, “I have no need of you” (1 Corinthians 12:21).

So in your small groups (which is the most natural place for such ministry to happen), seek the fullness of God’s “good” (1 Corinthians 12:7), and minister to each other—and seek to be ministered to—in this way.Seeking all his fullness with you,Pastor John"Please see: 1 Corinthians 12, For Further Study

"In September 2007 Chinese government officials closed Alimujiang Yimiti’s business and accused him of using it as a cover up for “preaching Christianity among people of Uyghur ethnicity.” He was later arrested in January 2008 and accused of “subversion of the national government and endangering national security,” a crime punishable by death...

Alimujiang, a former Muslim, became a Christian more than 10 years ago and has been an active Christian in the growing Uyghur church...

...In Feb. 2011, the Higher People’s Court of Xinjiang notified Alimujiang, who is serving his sentence, that they upheld the original sentence of 15 years of imprisonment in the reconsideration."

Please also pray for Youcef Nadarkhani, "an Iranian pastor who may be executed any day. Throughout his imprisonment, Youcef has trusted in the Lord and has been a bold witness of the redeeming work of Christ in his life. Youcef has learned to delight in hardships and persecution for Christ's sake (2 Cor. 12:10). "Many attempt to flee from their spiritual tests... [but] no one will be victorious by escaping from them, but with patience and humility he will be able to overcome all the tests and gain victory," he wrote from Lakan Prison last June. "Although heaven and earth will fade, His word will still remain."

Today, Alistair Begg takes us to Jude 1:20 for the characteristics of true prayer. The Holy Spirit is key player. Here, I extend the verse a bit.20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting;Jude 1:20-22

God speaks directly to the desire in our hearts, for He is the one who has written them. "Out of the depths must we cry, or we will never behold glory in the highest." The Holy Spirit commands humility and because of this, we recognize our own sin and bow down to make contrition. Other keywords from Alistair's poetic article are fervency, red-hot, perseveringly, humbly, and loving. He closes this poetic article with these words, "Now our prayer is that this blessed combination of excellent graces, as priceless and sweet as rare spices, might be fragrant within us because the Holy Spirit is in our hearts! Blessed Comforter, exert Your mighty power within us, helping our weaknesses in prayer."Visit Truth for Life to hear more from Alistair Begg! You can read today's inspiring message at One Place, How Do You Pray?